The only team in the division that underwent any significant improvement this offseason is Pittsburgh, pending (of course) the Malkin signing. The rest of the division seemed to tread water. Their gains are offset by their losses. They only moved their rosters laterally.

1. NJ

2. Phila.

3. NYR

4. Pitts.

5. NYI

]]>By: kamulliahttp://hockeytraderumors.com/battling-in-the-atlantic/comment-page-1/#comment-190142
Mon, 21 Aug 2006 06:22:06 +0000http://localhost/wordpress24/?p=13842#comment-190142I still don’t get why b-itch, c-ock, c-um are not allowed while shit and others are (is ***** allowed? I guess I’ll find out soon). If you’re gonna block offensive words, block them ALL. You can not be selective about it. Otherwise, take the blocks off.

Makes it impossible to use words like Hitchc-ock, doc-ument (and its derivatives), circ-umventing, and on.

The word bleeped was succ-umbing, for those interested, which means to quit fighting, to submit to or yield to.

]]>By: kamulliahttp://hockeytraderumors.com/battling-in-the-atlantic/comment-page-1/#comment-190141
Mon, 21 Aug 2006 06:04:28 +0000http://localhost/wordpress24/?p=13842#comment-190141Pittsburgh’s defense this year is just very young, that’s the real knock on them. Not that they’re not capable. And with moving Melichar (or even Scuderi), Odelein, and Cairns out of the regular nightly lineup they have what Philadelphia still does not (and I forgot to mention): mobility. Being more specific, they have lateral mobility. In today’s NHL that makes a world of difference.

But they are young in key positions and they will have to get over that fact. If they don’t, they’ll get trapped into taking penalties and that will throw everything out the window. But Whitney has showed his poise already and Welch certainly did, especially on the game he deflected an own goal and turned right back and strong-armed a few forwards and then scored one of his own (and had assisted on another). That is not suc*****bing under pressure.